Scientists have invented a postage stamp-sized sensor able to detect tiny amounts of drugs, which could be developed for use by police in handheld devices.

June 8, 2018

Crimefighters will soon have a new weapon in the battle against the illegal drug trade.

A scientistic team including researchers from the Australian National University have invented a postage stamp-sized sensor capable of detecting minuscule quantities of the chemicals used in drugs.

It could soon provide police with a non-invasive handheld mobile drug testing device to use on motorists and suspected traffickers.

Professor Dragomir Neshev says freeing law enforcement officers from slow and costly lab testing to confirm the presence of drugs was the motivation for the technology.

“Our invention can detect and recognise drugs in extremely small quantities which are released when the body metabolises drugs,” he said in a statement on Friday.

“The device could replace bulky and expensive mid-infrared spectrometers, which cost more than $100,000 each.”

Once fully developed, the device would be portable and cost just a fraction of the price, he said.

The new sensor is made up of hundreds of tiny pixels capable of measuring the infrared signatures of organic molecules and translating them into barcodes.

The barcodes would then be analysed by the device to identify specific drugs.

The development also has medical uses, such as assisting doctors to ensure prescribed medications are benefiting patients.

Prof Neshev said the new technology could be developed into a commercial drug-testing prototype within a few years.

The development of the device was also supported by Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.